Together Now
by WhatBecomesOfYou
Summary: Calleigh/Eric. Different Calleigh and Eric drabbles/oneshots for the LiveJournal community 30-kisses. Formerly "A Kiss to Build a Dream On."
1. Sunbathing

**Title**: Sunbathing  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #19 - Red  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. It's been a while since I've written Calleigh and Eric, so hopefully I'm not too rusty with them. Reviews would be lovely, if you have something to say.

* * *

Calleigh stretched out on a large red beach towel, basking in the heat of the Florida sun. Even though as a CSI, she was able to come out to the beach sometimes, more often than not it was to examine a crime scene – not sunbathe. She peered out from beneath her sunglasses and looked around, surreptitiously adjusting her bathing suit top at the same time. "Better to be safe than sorry, especially on a crowded beach," she thought to herself, smiling and turning her face back toward the sun, allowing for the heat to lull her to sleep.

Holding two cold drinks, Eric gingerly stepped over multitudes of bikini-clad bodies and avoided running into little kids building sand castles. He finally managed to reach her, and he set their drinks in the sand, before deciding on his course of action. While he had to admit, watching Calleigh sleep was mind-blowing, he'd _much_ rather have her awake. With her awake…his mind trailed off, thinking wonderful, delicious thoughts. Snapping back to attention when he heard her let out a small sigh, Eric smirked slightly as he leaned over and began peppering small kisses on the back of her neck. He _knew_ full well that this was a crowded Saturday at the beach, and that he was making a daring move, considering they were trying to hide their relationship. Granted, he thought to himself, it wasn't like they were hiding it from the world. Just from their friends at the lab. Somehow, the thought that they were supposed to be a _hidden_ relationship made the prospect of kissing Calleigh's neck in public even more tempting and exciting.

She whimpered, and Eric gently turned her over, capturing her lips in his. "Sleep well, Cal?" he whispered, gently stroking his finger along one cheek, guiding a loose strand of hair behind one ear. She shivered, despite the heat. His touch could do _so_ much to her, and he knew it, and he was reveling in it. Not that she was complaining. Sitting up, she took one of the drinks and gulped it, allowing the cool rush of liquid to course down her throat, quenching her thirst. Eric let out a low laugh, and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're beginning to look a little red, Cal," he said, running a finger along her torso, eliciting one of her. "I think we need to cool you off."

She raised one eyebrow, but before she could say a word, he had picked her up. "Eric Delko, put me down!" she squealed, kicking at the air and flailing her arms. "I mean it!"

He let out a low laugh as he reluctantly set her down on the sand. "Race you into the water, then?" he said with a sly wink. Calleigh grinned.

"Not if I get there first."


	2. His Own Personal Ray of Sunshine

**Title**: His Own Personal Ray of Sunshine  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #12 – In a Good Mood  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Thank you all so, so much for the reviews and alerts on the first oneshot – each story will be loosely connected, as in, each one will feature Calleigh/Eric and a kiss, but they may be posted outside of chronological order. If there's no specific reference point listed, it could fit anywhere. This is for future reference, as very rarely will any two "chapters" directly tie together. Reviews would be lovely, if you have something to say.

* * *

The winds were whipping strongly outside that afternoon. Hurricane Fiona was headed toward Miami, and as the storm approached the shore, those wise enough to get in their cars and evacuate had already done so. Eric, on the other hand, was stuck in the lab waiting for results. He watched as the trees lashed against the window, beaten back by the strong winds. Living in Florida for all of his life, it wasn't that he wasn't used to the wild and wacky weather they were sometimes subjected to. More like, when the sun wasn't shining, and instead the skies were gray and eerie, it made his already slightly depressing job seem even bleaker. He couldn't quite fathom how people could live in Oregon or places like that where rain and gray skies were more frequent, especially if they were familiar with warmer places. Maybe they adapted to their surroundings. Even still, it didn't seem like a lifestyle he'd want to lead. He loved the sun too much for that.

A faint clickity-clack of heels echoed down the hallway as Calleigh breezed through, a large grin on her ever-cheerful face. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a small kiss on Eric's cheek. "Hey," she whispered. "Want to get out of here? H told me I could leave before things got worse out there." She waved her hand at the window as if to indicate her point.

Eric sadly shook his head as he drew her close to him. "Stuck in the lab until my results on the Donahue case come in," he said sadly. "Don't leave without me?"

"Of course not," she said with a smile. "I'll be down in ballistics for when your results come in." With that, she snuggled in closer to him and said softly, "Don't take too long." She winked and as effortlessly as she had entered the room, she left it, leaving Eric's shirt smelling faintly of lavender-scented shampoo. He could never quite fathom how she could always be in such a good mood. Even with a Category Four hurricane headed straight for them, she still had a perpetual smile on her face and a nearly effortlessly positive personality. In a way, he thought to himself, despite the rain, wind and gray skies, Calleigh was his own personal ray of sunshine through the clouds, and he wouldn't have her any other way. He smiled to himself, and went back to work. Hopefully the results would come in soon; he _didn't_ want to make her wait.


	3. Just the Two of Us

**Title**: Just the Two of Us  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #8 – Our Own World  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. I find that I'm having a lot of inspiration for these two these days. Thank you all so, so much for the reviews on the first two stories! Reviews would be lovely, if you have something to say, and yep, these oneshots are pretty much irredeemable fluff. I get my fill of angst writing my multi-chapter story…

* * *

"Wake…up…Calleigh…" Eric whispered one morning before the sun rose, punctuating each word with a gentle kiss. She groaned and turned over, burying her face in his chest.

"Why do we _have_ to wake up this early anyway?" she said groggily. "I'd rather stay in here with you."

He smiled and stroked her hair. "Because…if I told you, it wouldn't be a _surprise_, now would it?" He had been planning this for some time, and it had been killing him inside not to tell Calleigh what he was up to. After today, however, she'd know everything. Though, he admitted to himself, Calleigh's idea to stay curled up next to him in bed _did_ have its advantages…

"Fine," she said with a slight huff. She _did_ like the idea of surprises from Eric, but waking up before the sun even rose was _not_ something she enjoyed doing.

* * *

As soon as they got in the car, Eric slipped a blindfold over her eyes. "No peeking until I tell you to," he said, with a devilish smirk. Calleigh let out a sigh and leaned her head against the car window, as Eric drove determinedly to his destination, occasionally taking a different turn than he normally would in order to throw Calleigh off. He heard her breathing even out once again, and knew that she had fallen asleep, lulled by the movement of the car. Gently, he moved a lock of hair behind one ear, as it had fallen in her face. She stirred slightly at his touch, mumbling something Eric couldn't quite make out, but quickly fell back into slumber, realizing that it was only Eric.

Once he stopped the car, he reached into the backseat and pulled out a blanket. "Come on, Cal, we're here…but no peeking yet," he said, tugging on her hand. "Wake up." She stirred, and blinked, feeling hopelessly disoriented behind the silk scarf currently being used to blindfold her.

"When can I look?" she asked, reaching her arms above her head and stretching.

Eric let out a low laugh. "Soon. The sooner we get out of this car, though, the sooner you can look," he replied.

* * *

They began walking next to each other, hands entwined, Calleigh trying to orient herself. One deep breath intake and she knew that they were close to the ocean. One footstep and she knew they were at the beach. Thoughts began wildly running through her head. Eric had taken her to the beach? Even more importantly, he had taken her to the beach at _sunrise_? She didn't know what was going on, but she felt her feet subconsciously moving faster.

Finally, Eric stopped at a location, and laid the blanket on the sand beneath them. "You can take it off now," he said. Calleigh anxiously threw the blindfold to the sand, and realized that they were in a small cove, hidden away from view by passers-by, about as much of their own world as they could be in without leaving Miami. The view of the ocean was breath-taking, she realized.

"Eric? What's going on?" she asked, threading her fingers through the sand nervously. "Why are we at the beach this time of morning?"

Eric smiled, and took Calleigh's hand in his. "Calleigh, after everything we have gone through together, everything that has happened to both of us, we're both standing tall, _together_. We complete each other. I can't imagine living my life without you," he said, tears in his eyes as he looked at the woman he loved with his whole heart. "Calleigh Duquesne…would you marry me?" Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small jewelry box and opened it, showing her the ring he had spent many hours deliberating over in the store.

Calleigh let out a gasp when she saw the sparkly diamond. "Oh!" she said, looking into Eric's eyes and seeing all of the simmering love and devotion he held for her, along with the hope that she wouldn't shatter his heart reflected back at her. "Yes! Yes, I will!" He pulled her tightly against him, slipping the ring on her ring finger and pressing his lips anxiously to hers.

They curled up in the blanket and looked out over the ocean as the sun rose, reflecting shards of yellow and orange across the water. "Do you think they'd miss us today?" Calleigh asked, holding her hand up in the air, admiring how her ring sparkled.

Eric pressed his lips together, as if in thought. "Hmmm…probably. But I'm not in any hurry to go to the lab, are you?"

She shook her head, blonde hair flying everywhere. "No, I'd rather stay here with you."

"Good, because that's what I was hoping for."


	4. Sweet Dreams

**Title**: Sweet Dreams  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #24 – Good Night  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. A short drabble written on one of my study breaks – updates will be more sporadic until my exams are over next week. Thank you to all of my readers/reviewers, and reviews would be lovely, if you have something to say.

* * *

He felt her breathing even out and her eyelids were fluttering closed. Holding her closely against his chest, he nestled his chin into the top of her head, allowing her silky hair to cascade gently. Closing his eyes, he silently thanked whatever had brought them together as they were. Now that he had learned what it was like to love her, he didn't want to live without that love again.

"Good night, Calleigh," he whispered softly, brushing a kiss across the top of her hair. "Sweet dreams."

Somewhere in the stillness of the night, a smile flitted across her face.


	5. To Wish Impossible Things

**Title**: To Wish Impossible Things  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #26 – If Only I Could Make You Mine  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Trying something a little less fluffy for a change, hopefully you all like it! Thank you all for the reviews on previous entries, and reviews would be lovely if you have something to say.

* * *

_A toss of blonde hair over one shoulder._

_An innocent giggle while talking to Ryan._

_A broad grin sweeping across her face as she walked in the Miami sunlight, confidence exuding from every inch of her._

Eric Delko was convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Calleigh Duquesne was slowly but surely driving him out of his mind, and the worst part was that he was also convinced she had _no_ idea what she was capable of doing. It was probably crossing multiple boundaries to have the dreams he did of her, one of his best friends, where she would smile, toss her hair and laugh just for him and him alone. It was impossible though. A woman like her would never go for a man like him; it was a fact of life, like so many other things, like that Horatio would always wear his sunglasses to every crime scene, or that every time he thought he had seen the worst crime scene he could imagine, one would soon come along that would be _much _worse. He bowed his head and returned to processing evidence, trying to shoo the mental image of her kissing him senseless from his mind. This _completely_ wasn't the kind of behavior he needed to be engaging in while on the clock, but somehow, he found it impossible to stop thinking of her. She was just _that_ irresistible, and would be his undoing if he wasn't more careful...


	6. The Loyalty Paradox

**Title**: The Loyalty Paradox  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #21 – Violence  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. After taking a writing hiatus to finish off my semester, I'm back, and will be finishing this off now. Based on the finale promo, and written prior to the finale, so things may not be _completely _accurate to what actually happens. _Possible_ spoilers for 7.25 "Seeing Red." Thank you all so much for the reviews on the previous chapters, and reviews would be lovely if you have something to say.

* * *

"It was _Eric_. I _shot_ at him."

Uttering those seven words out loud, to Ryan, twisted her heart around. "If he wasn't so damn _loyal_," she thought bitterly to herself, "then none of this would be an _issue_." Though, she continued, his loyalty was one of the things she loved best about him. So it was really, for her at least, an unsolvable paradox.

The color left Ryan's face upon her admission. "Cal, I don't know what to say."

"I have to go," she said, pirouetting on one heel and marching out the door, a determined glint coloring her eyes a darker shade of green. "If you hear_ anything_, let me know."

"Will do."

* * *

She sat in the driver's seat of her car, pressing her forehead to the steering wheel, lost in her own thoughts. Thoughts of her life with Eric, and how _happy_ they had been together, how much in love they had been, before everything with his _father_ had weaseled their way in and sent the two of them on divergent paths. She had pleaded with him not to go, and he had defied her…but it wasn't something she wanted to _kill_ him over. That was the _last_ thing she ever wanted to do. She had vowed to protect him, with her proficiency with guns, and that proficiency may have taken all that they had ever hoped for away.

She nervously licked her lips, imagining for a fleeting moment that instead of her tongue, it was Eric's lips pressing against hers, telling her through unspoken words that everything would turn out fine. "I don't know what I would do without you, Eric," she whispered, the incessant twittering of a bird outside the car window being the only reply.

Biting her lower lip to stem the flow of tears that threatened to come flooding at any moment, she turned the key in the ignition and drove off in a hurry, scaring away the bird. She had to be strong, for Eric, for _them_. It was the only way.


	7. By His Side

**Title**: By His Side  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #2 – News  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. You can either consider this a sequel to "The Loyalty Paradox" or a post-ep for Seeing Red…or both, if you're so inclined. It works either way, I _think_. After this, I'll be back to the more fluffy stories. Spoilers for 7.25 Seeing Red. Read, and if you like it or have something to say, reviews would be lovely.

* * *

Her head hurt, and her eyes were bloodshot. She had spent _every_ waking moment the past three days crying or helping in the search effort for Eric. Or, more often than not, some combination of both. And it wasn't even as though she had spent too many moments sleeping. His face, his handsome, loyal, trusting face, haunted her dreams. The last things she had said to him…the last things before she _shot _at him…were _not_ the last words she ever wanted to say to him. She propped up her head on her hands and exhaled, letting out a deep, frustrated sigh. She _couldn't_ lose him.

Horatio walked over to where she was sitting and placed one hand on her shoulder. "Calleigh, go home and sleep. We'll continue looking for him," he said softly.

"But, but, I need to be here, in case y'all find him."

"Go home. Sleep. If we hear _anything_, you'll be the first to know," he said, firmer this time.

"_Fine_," she huffed, pulling herself out of the chair and walking to the door. "I'll be back, though."

* * *

The thin cotton sheets of her bed suffocated her as she thrashed about in her sleep, tormented by visions of a confused and injured Eric. Every time, in her dreams, she tried to reach out her hand and grasp him, touch him, but like a ghost, he faded away like wisps in the wind when she got too close, a faint incessant ringing sound coming from somewhere in the distance. Waking up with a thin sheen of sweat glistening on her skin, she frantically looked at the alarm clock by her bed. _2:23_, the clock read. She muttered something unintelligible under her breath, picking up her cell phone, which had been lying on the bedside table. Smiling a thin-lipped smile, she saw that she had a new voicemail. She dialed the number, whispering a faint prayer to anyone who would listen that it was good news on the other end.

"Calleigh, we found him," Horatio's voice said evenly. "We're taking him to Mercy, you can meet us there."

Her heart swelled as she clicked off of the call, and she had to sit down to catch her breath. A nagging thought crept into the back of her mind. Horatio had said that he was found, and was going to be taken care of by some _very_ great doctors, she was sure of that. But nowhere in the message was anything on how he was actually _doing_.

She hopped around her bedroom, trying to get fresh clothes on so that if she would be able to see him, that he didn't have to see clothes she'd been living in for the past three days. Besides, they smelled fairly bad at this point. Not bothering with makeup, she grabbed her purse and bolted for the door, using every burst of speed she had available to get to Eric that much faster.

* * *

"Where is he? Where is he? Can I see him?" she asked, running into the waiting room, nearly knocking over a potted plant in the process.

"And _you_ are?" a heavy-set older nurse with a nametag reading Wendy said, dropping a manila file folder on the counter.

Horatio stepped forward and motioned to Calleigh. "Wendy, this is Calleigh Duquesne, she's with us." Calleigh nodded and gave a tentative smile.

"Uh-_huh_, well, Mr. Delko is sleeping right now, so sit down and we'll call you in when you can see him."

* * *

A few hours passed, and Calleigh was pacing the length of the waiting area, looking up at the wall clock every now and then, muttering rapidly under her breath when only a few short minutes had passed since the _last _time she had checked. "Why don't you sit down?" Horatio asked her, gesturing at the seat next to him. "I can probably get Ryan to get you a coffee from the cafeteria while we're waiting."

She shook her head, a torrent of blonde hair spilling over her face. "Horatio, I can't, I just _can't_. I have to keep myself active, or I'll think too hard about what happened."

He nodded, choosing not to press the issue too hard, and turned away, reaching for that day's edition of the Miami Herald.

After what seemed to be an eternity, but was more like four hours, Wendy walked back into the waiting area, and cleared her throat, startling Calleigh. "Mr. Delko is awake. You can see him now."

Calleigh bit her lip as she walked down the corridor to his room, and gently swung the door open. "Hey," she whispered. "How are you feeling?" She scooted the visitors' chair closer to his bed and laid her hand on the bedrail. _So_ many things she wanted to say, and she hoped that her conflicting emotions weren't coloring her face at that moment. A part of her was angry at him for putting himself in a dangerous position, going against everything…but a larger part of her wanted to clasp him tightly against her and never let him go. _Ever_.

"A little injured, nothing some good rest and the power of modern medicine won't fix. How did you know I was here?"

"H left me a voicemail. He…he had sent me home to get some sleep. I came as soon as I heard."

He smiled up at her. "I'm glad." He let out a low sigh. "I wasn't sure if you would…you know, considering everything that happened before, with us."

"Eric…"

"Cal, can we talk about this when I'm not hooked up to a million wires and an IV?" he asked, holding up a bundle of wires as if for emphasis.

"I was just…so _afraid_ that I'd lose you…right as we were so _happy_," she admitted, tears filling her eyes. "I know we have things to talk about, but for now, all I want to do is see that _you_ get better."

He nodded and turned over in the bed. "Cal, the pain pills they gave me…they're making me sleepy, and I want to go back to sleep. The nurse will probably kick you out, so you should probably leave." He frowned slightly at the prospect of Wendy dragging Calleigh from his room.

"Okay. I'll be in the waiting area with H and Ryan if you need me for _anything_."

She knelt over the hospital bed and brushed a faint kiss across his temple, before squeezing his hand softly and walking out of the room. It would take time to rebuild some of the trust that had been lost, but she knew that no matter what, she would always be right by his side.


	8. Antsy

**Title**: Ants-y  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #1 – Look Over Here  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Thank you all so much for the nice reviews left on previous parts, and if you like this or have something to say, reviews would be lovely.

* * *

It was early in the morning, long before the first lights of Miami sunshine would flicker across the morning sky. Somewhere in the stillness of the night, a fearful cry rang out into the blackness. Fingers deftly hit the speed dial buttons on her cell phone, calling the one person who could save her from her nightmare.

He turned over in bed, right as his cell phone began ringing. Waking up, he saw that it was 2:40 in the morning, and he groaned to himself, grabbing his phone and flipping it open. "Delko."

"Eric, can you come over?" she said, with a fearful tone to her voice.

"It is 2:40 in the morning, Cal, can this wait until after I wake up? I'll come over before work."

"No, I really need you, _now_. _Please_?"

He sighed. The tone of her voice suggested that he really should go over and see what was _so_ important that she would wake him up for it. "I'll be over shortly."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Eric stood in Calleigh's kitchen, with a slightly amused expression on his face. "Calleigh, come down from there."

"No," she said with a pout, her lower lip wavering. She continued to stand firm on top of her kitchen table, glaring daggers into the kitchen tile.

"Why not?"

"Look over there!" she very nearly shouted, pointing to a particular spot on the tile. Eric's eyes followed the imaginary line created by her finger. Air…air…tile…many tiny and black specks marching gallantly across her kitchen floor.

"_Oh_."

"Now you see?"

"Well, I know you're _afraid_ of them. You told me that once, remember?"

She remembered. She also remembered that he was the only person she had ever told, and also that he had tried to get her to climb in an _ant tank_ of all things to try to help her fight her fear. It sent an involuntary shudder up her spine at the memory.

"Come on, Cal, if you step down from there, I'll be your savior with the ant spray and we can both get some sleep."

"So you're staying then?"

"Once you find me the ant spray, and I kill these ants for you."

"My hero. It's under the sink, by the way," she said, taking his hand in hers and allowing for him to help her down. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she planted a small kiss on his cheek and smiled. "I'm _not_ staying around to watch the massacre."

He laughed. "Go, Cal, I'll be there shortly." As she walked back into her bedroom, he made his way over to the sink and found the ant spray right where she had said it would be, tucked behind the garbage can under her sink. "A small price to pay," he murmured to himself, turning the can over in his hands. Her happiness and security was worth it.


	9. Moving Out

**Title**: Moving Out  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #28 – Wada Calcium CD3  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. There _will_ be a sequel to this one, however, after I post the sequel – probably Monday sometime, though I hate making promises – I won't be posting any more stories until later in the week due to real life commitments. Thank you all _so_ much for the nice reviews left on previous parts, and if you like this or have something to say, reviews would be lovely.

* * *

"You want to _what_?" Eric asked, shock filtering through his voice. He wanted to make sure that this was all a reality, and that he had heard her right.

Calleigh looked down, mindlessly moving her straw through the glass of lemonade she was sipping from, watching as an ice cube drifted around. "I _said_, we spend practically every night together anyway, and you have half of your things at my place as it is, why not move in together?"

He smiled and placed one hand over hers. "Of course."

* * *

"How much stuff do you _have_?" Calleigh grunted, reaching back and putting her hair into a ponytail, feeling beads of sweat pouring over her brow. She had been sitting in the middle of Eric's living room floor for nearly two hours, going through containers that they brought out from his coat closet.

He popped his head out from the bathroom. "A lot, I haven't really gone through much of it yet."

She got up, stretching out her tense muscles. Walking over to the end table, a small framed portrait caught her attention out of the corner of one eye. She picked it up, and felt a wave of emotion flood over her. It was her, Eric and Speed, the summer before his death. They were having fun on the beach, Calleigh throwing her hair back, laughing at some joke, her arms wrapped around both guys. She remembered that day, though she couldn't remember who had taken the picture, or even what the joke was about. All of them looked so young and innocent…and alive. Running a finger over the picture, she let out a slow, pained sigh.

Just then, she felt his arms loop around her waist, and his breath dangerously close to her ear. "I miss him too, you know," Eric whispered, the sound of his voice soothing her. "Things haven't been the same since…"

Calleigh exhaled. She knew how that sentence would end. She always did. Everything had changed that day, and try as they may, it would never be quite the same again. Putting down the picture, she turned around and faced Eric. "I think he'd be wondering why it took us so long to get together."

"He probably would," he chuckled, dipping his head down to kiss her. "Not to change the topic, but are you hungry at all?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Let's order a pizza then."

* * *

One large pizza and a side of breadsticks later, Calleigh and Eric sat on his couch, her snuggled up into his side, his arm wrapped loosely around her waist. "What's the strangest thing that you've found today?" he asked, moving his hand upward to play gently with the ends of her hair, still stuck in the loose ponytail she had put it in earlier.

Calleigh thought for a moment. "Probably the three different striped winter scarves I found hanging in your coat closet. When's the last time you wore one?"

He laughed. "I forget. Maybe one day, those scarves will find a use."

"Are you implying something?"

"If you want it to."

"So, what's the strangest thing _you've_ found today?"

"A trial size bottle of a Japanese calcium supplement. It was tucked into my medicine cabinet."

"When did you get _that_?" Calleigh had a hard time picturing Eric going into an Asian pharmacy, and did they even have Asian pharmacies in Miami anyway? She couldn't think of any, granted, she also acknowledged that didn't mean one didn't _exist_…

"Door-to-door saleswoman came by a couple of years ago and tried to sell me a bottle. When I refused, she handed me the trial size version and told me to try it."

"And have you?"

"No."

"_Eric_!"

"I'm not elderly, nor growing, nor in need of sunlight, nor am I a fish. Didn't see the use, I guess," he said with a slight shrug.

Calleigh had to grant him those points. Even if his skill in the water made him closer to a fish than a lot of people were, she knew his body _fairly_ well and there was no sign of any gills anywhere, and living in Miami meant there was no shortage of sunshine. Smiling to herself, she ran her fingers over his chest. "If we're ever going to move you out of here, we probably should get off the couch."

"Do we have to…right now?" he asked, lowering his voice and brushing his lips along her earlobe.

"No, I'm good for now," she replied, sinking back into his arms, allowing them to wrap around her, cocooning her safe and sound.


	10. Imagining You

**Title**: Imagining You  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #3 – Jolt!  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. I had the motivation to write a quick drabble companion piece to "To Wish Impossible Things" (chapter 5) from Calleigh's point of view. Thank you all _so_ much for the nice reviews left on previous parts, and if you like this or have something to say, reviews would be lovely.

* * *

Calleigh found that her imagination tended to work overtime when it came to Eric. She wondered what it would be like to feel his fingers caress her bare skin, and sometimes, she imagined that she'd wake up with his arms wrapped tightly around her, gentle kisses raining down on her face. It was all fantasy, she told herself.

Her imagination tended to get her in trouble at work though, as she found herself jolted out of her daydreams more than once by amused glances from her colleagues. Biting her lip, she steeled herself to focus. She could continue fantasizing _later_.


	11. Moving In

**Title**: Moving In  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #20 – The Road Home  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. I had to re-write part of "Imagining You" – forgot my secondary prompt, yikes! – So, if you've already read it and want to read the revised version, it's edited in there. I've had this one written for a while, but due to issues beyond my control, couldn't get it posted until today. Thank you all _so_ much for the nice reviews left on previous parts, and if you like this or have something to say, reviews would be lovely.

* * *

"Oof," Calleigh grunted, straightening her back and glaring at the offending box, wiping stray hairs back from her forehead as she did so. "What did you pack in here? Bricks?"

Eric gave an apologetic smile. "I think that's…" he trailed off, looking down at the sloppy handwriting on the side of the box. "Pots and pans."

She wrinkled her nose, muttering furiously under her breath something about how many pots and pans did a couple _really_ need. Out loud, she said, "_You_ can carry that; I'll carry this box outside," hefting another box into her arms. "Remind me again why we didn't convince H and Ryan to come help us."

"Because the criminals of Miami don't _want _to take a day off in honor of us moving in together," he replied, chuckling softly. "Crimes to solve, evidence to process, you know that routine as well as I do."

She nodded. "Yeah, it would have been _nice_ to have their help today though."

"I know, but we'll make do with just the two of us."

"The trailer isn't going to load _itself_, Eric; we need to finish loading it."

Lifting a box from the ground and easing it unsteadily into his arms, he grinned. "Right behind you, Cal, right behind you."

* * *

Later that evening, she stood in the middle of her – no, _their_ - living room, eyeing the vast expanse of boxes that they had just finished unloading. It was as though a cardboard jungle of boxes had taken root in her carpet and sprouted over the past day. She smiled a small smile and let out a soft, low sigh. Inwardly, she wondered when Eric would get back from returning the trailer to U-Haul, and frowned. She wanted him _home_.

Just then, she felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around her waist, and a faint whispering of breath tickling the fluttering strands of hair that flanked her ears. Sinking back into the comforting embrace, she looked upward. "Welcome home," she whispered, her accent thickened in fatigue.

Wordlessly, he bent his head downward and gently captured her lips with his, his tongue skating along her lower lip. She let out a contented sigh as she allowed him entrance, their tongues frantically meshing together in a kinetic burst of energy.

Reluctantly breaking it off when breathing became a necessity, she turned around and pressed her palms to his chest, running one hand over the sweat-soaked fabric of his t-shirt. "How 'bout _you_ take care of this, and then we can get some sleep?" She exaggerated a yawn for effect, and winked.

He laughed and reached a hand behind her neck to lightly tousle her hair. "How about you _join_ me?"

"Oh, I think I could be _convinced_…" she said, with an eyebrow raise and a flip of stray hair over her shoulder, her eyes gleaming. "But it'd have to be _good_…"

"You know it _will_ be," he said with a slight smirk, pulling her close for another kiss.

Gasping for air when they parted, Calleigh found it hard to find the words to speak. "You convinced me," she said with a mischievous smile. "Now, let me show you the way…" She took one of his hands in hers and clasped it, squeezing gently. They both knew that they had taken a large step that day, but that their forever had started that night.


	12. Fiona's Wrath

**Title**: Fiona's Wrath  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #27 - Overflow  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Consider this a sequel to "His Own Personal Ray of Sunshine," since they're both written about the same Hurricane Fiona – which is a real name on next year's hurricane naming list. Thank you all _so_ much for the nice reviews left on previous parts, and if you like this or have something to say, reviews would be lovely.

* * *

Gushing rapids of water sloshed over the slick, flooded streets of Miami, angry showers of rain dashing against the ground, dangerously hampering the visibility for anyone unlucky – or, perhaps _foolish_ – enough to be caught out in it. The excessive rain caused the sewers to back up and overflow, sewage spilling out onto the streets, the foul smell overpowering those nearby. Meteorologists went on the airwaves, admonishing anyone who wasn't at home, boarding up their windows and preparing for the worst of the hurricane that was still yet to come. Huddled under black umbrellas, drenched to the bone, evangelicals called out into the howling storm, calling for all who heard them to repent now, save themselves, before it was too late to do anything at all. News reporters braved the weather to report from the frontlines of the storm, proclaiming that Fiona was poised to do the most damage to Miami since Andrew back in 1992.

In the midst of the storm, a small car inched along the roadway, methodically, nearly _single-mindedly_, making its way toward its destination. Inside the car, Calleigh pressed her nose to the window, peering out in an effort to read street signs, her breath fogging the window. "You _sure_ it's safe to be out in this?" she asked softly, a tinge of fear creeping into her voice.

Eric gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands and gritted his teeth. "I'd _never_ do anything to you that I didn't think was _safe_, Cal."

She turned away from the window momentarily, long enough to gently place one hand on his upper arm and kiss the side of his cheek. "I know," she said, turning back to the window. "I just want to get _home_."

* * *

Before the ignition was even turned off, Calleigh was out of the car and half the way up the path to the front door. "Eric!" she called out, her voice drowned out by a particularly violent gust of wind. "_Hurry up_!" Her hair, which when they had left the lab was as perfectly done as it could get without hours in front of a mirror, was plastered haphazardly against the side of her head, giving the sad impression of a drowned rat. He stumbled up the walk, fighting against the wind, nearly slipping once or twice on a particularly slick patch. Reaching the front porch, he leaned against a pillar and caught his balance.

"I thought you would have gone inside," he said, rasping out the words.

"I was waiting for you."

Fumbling in her purse, she snatched the keys out from under her wallet and managed to turn the key in the lock, allowing them entrance. With a surge of relief to finally be in a somewhat safe location – safer than being out on the street, at any rate - they entered, and attempted to flick on the entry light, to shed some light on the day.

"Cal?" Eric said, suddenly worried.

"Yeah?"

"Where do you keep the flashlights?"

"Why?"

"The _power_'s out," he said, walking to the kitchen and flipping the switch up and down, to no avail. They locked eyes across the room, seeing their fear mirrored in each other, aided by what minimal natural light shone through the window, as Fiona's wrath rained down above them. It'd be a long, _long_ storm.


	13. Happy Little Secret

**Title**: Happy Little Secret  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #6 – The Space Between Dream and Reality  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Based on the episode "You May Now Kill the Bride," and set somewhere right after that. Some dialogue taken directly from the episode, so I don't own that either. Reviews would be lovely, if you have something to say.

* * *

She picked up the veil, watching as the sunlight glinted off the cubic zirconium that served as the decorations. Turning it around in her hands, she placed it on her head, flashing one of her trademark smiles at him. "If you tell anyone I did this, I'll _kill_ you," she said, almost flippantly, looking at him, almost daring him to defy her.

His breath caught in his throat, seeing her in _that_ veil, her eyes sparkling happily. No, it wasn't just seeing her in that specific veil, though it was the one that was the closest by, he thought to himself, the few lucid thoughts that came to mind, it was seeing her in _any_ veil, standing as she was, the proximity to him...It wouldn't take much to fill in the blanks, imagine that instead of analyzing the crime scene for potential targets, that they were actually…getting _married_…

All that he could say out loud, though, was some muttering about how she was the same height as their victim. Of all the things he wanted to say, the words he wanted to find, that _wasn't_ the one he wanted to say. Packing up their things to head back to the lab after finishing at the scene, new revelations about the case discovered, he looked over at her and smiled to himself. She had _completely_ made his day with one fluff of a veil worth, even with fake diamonds, more than either of them would make in their lifetime.

* * *

Later that night, as Eric lay sprawled under his covers, his head thrown back on the pillow, the memories of the day coursed through his mind, with a special focus on a blonde in a wedding veil. A part of him, the rational part that solved crimes and interacted on a daily basis with the others around him, remembered that it was all for the benefit of finding out what happened, and providing justice for the poor girl. The irrational part of him, the part that was head over heels in love with his best friend, wondered if she knew what she had done.

As he fell asleep, his thoughts melded with his fantasies, and instead of the dreams that had been plaguing him for the past year, he dreamt that it was their wedding…

* * *

_After they had recited their vows, he looked down at her, seeing the love they had for each other reflected in her eyes, the sun streaming through her hair, making it appear even more golden than it did on a normal day. The white of her dress made her look like an ethereal angel, descended from heaven._

"_By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the reverend said with a smile, as Eric's hand reached out to grasp Calleigh's waist, the space between them quickly closing. He smiled as they kissed for the first time as husband and wife. Husband and __**wife**__. The thought of that boggled his mind._

* * *

He woke up with a start, and looked around his room frantically. No one was to be seen anywhere around, but his lips tingled, as if he had just finished kissing someone...kissing _Calleigh_. Falling back to sleep, he smiled. She wouldn't have to kill him for what he said, because it would always be _his_ happy little secret. No one would ever have to know.


	14. Flowers in the Sea

**Title**: Flowers in the Sea  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #11 - Gardenia  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. To clarify something a reviewer left in a review to "Happy Little Secret" – these don't go in any particular chronological order, just the order that I get the inspiration for them in. Imagine it like a little anthology of Calleigh/Eric oneshots/drabbles, some are connected, others are not. =) Reviews would be lovely, if you have something to say.

* * *

The heady scent of gardenias filled Calleigh's nostrils. She looked down at the bouquet in her hands, the faint feel of fabric tickling the side of her face. They really _were_ pretty flowers, she thought to herself, as she continued walking forward, seeing Eric standing before her, a wide smile on his face…the smile that he reserved for her and her only. It was a look of love, that much could never be mistaken.

As she approached him, and stood in front of him, his hands joining hers, entwined together, she smiled softly, an unspoken reply to his smile. "Are you ready?" he whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers, a quick motion of comfort.

She nodded, a tear pricking her eye. "I'm ready," she whispered in reply, leaning down to the ground, her knee digging into the sand, as she tugged the scraps of fabric from her hair, tying them around the stems, loose ribbons of silk and cotton.

"To the best man we ever knew," he said quietly, as they waded out to sea, holding each other as the waves lapped at their knees. He took a hold of the bouquet, and smiled grimly as together, they lay the flowers in the sea; petals submerged in the water, ribbons turning wet and slimy to the touch. They stood there, watching as the flowers floated on, the current taking them to places unknown.

"I can't believe it's been five years already. Feels like just yesterday…"

"I know." She let out a strained sigh and looked off into the sunset, the sky painted a multitude of brilliant colors. They made their way back to shore silently, no words passing between them. The emotion of the moment that had just passed said anything that ever needed to be said. There was no need to say anymore.


	15. Endless

**Title**: Endless  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #16 - Invincible  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. I blame the mood of this on taking a break from my long story, which is mostly angst. Set after the season seven finale, and as of the posting of this, I'm halfway done with the 30_kisses challenge.

* * *

They both knew that in their line of work, invincible was just another word for lucky. One inopportune slip of the trigger, one breath stolen too soon, and every dream they held would sift through their hands like trickles of sand. They had seen the song and dance routine played out before. Every time didn't make it easier. If it was easier, it would mean that they had lost the capability to feel.

Calleigh made her way over to the park bench and sat down, staring out over the horizon, a pained expression flickering across her face. The horizon was endless from her perspective. As a light breeze blew past, the faint scent of honeysuckle drifting along, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift back and relax, allowing for the thoughts of a more pleasant time to take control.

* * *

_They had only been dating a few months, although, since they had been friends for so many years, there was so little of the normal problems that came with settling into a new relationship. It felt __**right**__, the natural progression of time allowing for their feelings to deepen before they were even together. Each kiss, whether it was gentle and slow, or quick and passionate, or even just a sly peck on the cheek as he'd pass by, felt as though it had been many years in coming._

_The first time he had taken her out to dinner, a short time after she had gotten out of the hospital, she felt like a teenager on her first date. The doctors had told her to take it easy, use the inhaler if she needed assistance with breathing, so she tucked it into her purse next to her lipstick and comb and prayed that she wouldn't have to use it that night. And as luck would have it, it was the first night she hadn't had to use it._

_It didn't seem to take too long after that first dinner date for things to heat up between them, and before either of them became fully aware of what was going on, he was spending the night in her bed, spooned up against her, his arm thrown protectively over her. It was sweet, and loving, and she had begun to imagine what it would be like to marry him, have little brown-haired, green-eyed children running around. She had known for some time he would be a good father…_

* * *

The harsh reality of their current situation hit her at that moment, a cruel reminder that she could have been the one to end all of their dreams. She blinked, feeling the threat of tears prick at her eyelids. She shot at him. He was missing. Even if he was alive, which she fervently prayed was the truth; she feared that her actions…his actions…no, _their _actions would drive an irreparable wedge between them that would never be fully removed.

The horizon was still endless. She hoped their dreams still would be.


	16. Teamwork Building

**Title**: Teamwork Building  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #5 – "Hey, you know…"  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Set somewhere between the flashbacks from 8.01 and the beginning of season one, probably closer to the flashbacks.

* * *

"Hey, Calleigh!" Eric said as they walked out of the lab late one afternoon. "Wait up."

She stopped where she was standing, spun around and looked at him. "What do you want, Delko?" she asked.

"You know, I was wondering, since I'm new to CSI and all, if I could take my lovely new co-worker out for dinner, my treat, to get to know her better. But, if she's busy..."

"No, no, not busy," Calleigh said, laughing slightly. "Just, well, I told you before that I don't date co-workers."

"Who ever said this was a _date_?" Eric replied, his eyes sparkling in the fading sunlight. "I just want to improve teamwork by getting to know all the members of the team. Starting with you, of course."

"Well, I'm flattered, Delko. Really."

"Is that a yes?" He grinned and hoped for the best. There was no denying that she was beautiful, but it would be another bruise to the ego if she rejected him, like she had the day they first met. And they'd still have to work together, at that.

"Let me think about it." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and placed her hand on her car hood. The tweeting of a bird nearby and a car pulling out of the parking lot were the only sounds. "Sure. It's just dinner though."

"Just dinner," he echoed. "Sounds good."

"And I'll drive _myself_," she continued. "No need for you to pick me up."

* * *

Over dinner that night, they talked about their careers, education, anything that came to mind. Finally, as they sat waiting for the bill, Eric glanced over at her. "Enjoy yourself tonight?" he asked.

She nodded and sipped at her iced beverage. "I did, thanks. It was good."

"The food or the company?"

"The food, _of course_," she said, laughing. "No, both the food and the company were _very_ good."

"I'm glad," he said, peering at the bill in his hands. "Considering this will cost me a good chunk of my first paycheck."

"Let me chip in," she said, pulling out her purse. "I don't want to cost you any money."

"No, Calleigh, this is _my_ treat." He reached over and put his hands over hers, guiding them to place the purse on the table.

She placed it on the table and let out a sigh. "It was an offer."

"Thanks for offering, but I'll be okay. Really."

* * *

As they walked out of the restaurant that night, Calleigh looked over at him in the dim orange light afforded by the streetlight. "Was it what you thought it would be?"

"Taking you out to dinner? Somewhat." He moved closer to her as he was speaking. "It should help with that whole teamwork thing."

"Yeah. It should." She looked blankly out into the sky. "So...what now?"

"You have any plans for tonight?"

"Nah. Not really. I was planning to go home and sleep, but if you want to do something..."

He shook his head. "No, I was thinking about going home as well. Since you want to, then that's what we'll do. Go our separate ways. But, before we do..."

She looked at him, puzzled. "Before we do..._what_?" she asked, her forehead crinkled, and her eyebrows furrowed. Before she could ask a more coherent question, Eric had pressed his lips to hers, seeking approval for what he was doing. "Oh!" she squeaked, taken off guard and very surprised.

The kiss was over as fast as it had happened. "Eric, what was that?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Calleigh, I've wanted to do that all night," he said, frowning and fumbling in his pockets for his car keys. "I'll go now. Sleep well. I'll see you at work tomorrow." He ran off toward the parking lot, his face thoroughly flushed with embarrassment. That was the right way to start things off with his new co-worker. Talk about making things unnecessarily awkward.

She stood back on the sidewalk, looking out at him, and pressed two of her fingers to her lips, smiling faintly at the recollection of the past few moments. "Things here just got interesting," she whispered, more to herself than anything else, as she walked off to her car. That Eric Delko, he was going to be an intriguing new addition to the team, and a part of her was_ very_ interested in seeing what happened next.


	17. The Thing About History

**Title**: The Thing About History  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #29 – The Sound of Waves  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. I had one partially done for post-8.03, but then 8.05 aired and I couldn't find the inspiration to work on it anymore, but I might still try to finish it eventually. This is set post-8.05.

* * *

Calleigh fought back tears as Eric walked out of the locker room. It was impossible to work with someone for as long as they had worked together and not form some sort of attachment to them. Even if they weren't a couple – and really, what were they these days anyway – they had a history together. And history wasn't something that could be easily forgotten. As much as one could revise history and sweep the facts of the matter under the rug, the truth still remained in the minds of those who knew it best.

It wasn't that she enjoyed crying, and the fact that she had managed to hold back the tears as long as she had was a good sign. Hopefully she could keep up that sort of resistance. And if she had to cry, the last place she'd _ever_ want to do it was at the lab.

Making her way out of the lab, and blindly driving back home, she tried to divert her thoughts away. She could go to the beach, lose herself in the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline. She could go drive aimlessly around Miami, wind up topless in a nightclub, dancing her cares away. Or, she could drown her sorrows in a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

It was the latter option that won out in her mental war of wills. There was _no_ problem that the great counselors of Ben and Jerry couldn't solve.

When she pulled into her driveway, she saw someone sitting on her front porch. Furrowing her brow, she got out of the car and gingerly stepped toward her front door. She wasn't expecting any visitors any time soon. "Hello?" she asked, reaching for her gun. Not that she was planning to fire it, but just in case it was someone decidedly unsavory.

"Calleigh?" the person asked. They stood up and moved out of the shadow. "I wasn't sure when you were coming home."

She bit her lip and released her hold on her gun. At least it wasn't anyone she didn't want to see, it was even the person she most wanted to see. But, if she was being honest with herself, it was the person she _least_ expected to see on her porch right then. "Eric. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I couldn't let that be our goodbye," he said, casting his gaze downward, scuffing the heel of his shoe against the wood. "Not after all we've been through."

"No," she said, walking closer to him, eyeing him cautiously. "That would have been the _worst _goodbye in the history of goodbyes."

"We can't erase what's happened, Calleigh," he said dejectedly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Then let's _not_ erase it. Let's continue this from where we left it off."

He had the ghost of a smile traced on his face as he approached her tentatively. "Calleigh," he whispered; his voice grew husky as he took in the sight of her in the waning light of sunset. She wasn't his co-worker anymore, not now that he had left CSI. She was just…a beautiful woman he was madly in love with, and if he had to place a bet on it, he'd bet she was in love with him too. His statement from earlier worked both ways: they both knew each other too well.

"Eric." She moved in closer to him, matching his steps to her own until they were only separated by a small slip of air, his face the only thing she could see. Her head rose to meet his, his arms reached out for her waist, and their lips met somewhere in the middle.

There was something else about history, she thought. It _always_ had a way of repeating itself, for better or for worse.


	18. Letting the Song Speak for You

**Title**: Letting the Song Speak for You  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #14 – Radio Cassette Player  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. I wrote this _forever_ ago – if it had been posted when I wrote it, it would have been one of the first chapters. Not sure why I didn't have it posted before, but here it is now. Chronologically, I'd put it in late season seven, pre-finale.

* * *

Calleigh turned over the device in her hands, staring at it, looking at it in awe. "Eric," she asked, tracing her finger along the edge. "Why do you still have a radio cassette player?"

"Because there's _nothing_ better than listening to music than on a Walkman," he replied, gently pressing it into her palm.

"That's what they say about vinyl, you know," she said with a grin. "Besides, don't you have to worry about the tape getting caught in the deck and having to unravel the entire thing to get it uncaught, and _then_ you have to labor over the kitchen table for hours to wind it back into place, if you can even do so?"

"You just described many childhood afternoons for me," he answered wistfully. "Marisol and I…she was skilled at retrieving the tapes with minimal damage. I could never do it; I was too impatient to get the tape out."

"A _very_ useful skill indeed." She laughed to herself, amused at the mental image of a young Eric anxiously ruining cassette tape after cassette tape in his impatience. Feeling the coolness in her hand, memories washed over her. Shaking her head, hairs flying everywhere, she exhaled sharply. "So, was the purpose of this to bring about memory lane?"

He shook his head rapidly. "No, Cal, I want you to listen to the cassette that's in there."

Raising one eyebrow, she eyed the Walkman suspiciously, bringing it up to eye level. "And what cassette is it?"

"It's a _surprise_," he said. "If I told you, it would ruin the surprise."

Rummaging in her purse, she pulled out a pair of headphones and plugged them into the headphone jack. Greeted by a wide-eyed stare of surprise from Eric, she winked. "A woman has to be prepared for _anything_."

"I didn't know that _anything_ in your case included headphones."

She shrugged. "You _never_ know when you might need a good pair."

"Calleigh Duquesne, all cool and with the times."

"You've got it," she said with another wink, nestling the headphones over her ears. "Now, quiet. I want to hear this _surprise_ you have for me."

As the first notes floated out of the Walkman and into her ears, she found herself entranced by the music. Soft, rhythmic, and very clearly heartfelt lyrics…as the song came to an end, the final notes drifting off into nothing; she felt tears welling in her eyes. "You mean it?" she asked, looking up at him, their eyes meeting.

"Yes," he whispered, gently kissing her. "Te quiero." An echo of the song, to be sure, but somehow the words meant more coming from him than from a pair of headphones…

* * *

**Author's Note**: _The song Eric had Calleigh listen to...although I had a specific song in mind when I wrote this, as reflected by the end, really it could be just about any love song. So let your imagination run wild on what you imagine it to be. =) _


	19. A Certain Comfort

**Author's Note**: _Written for 5trueloves, prompt: Heart and 30_kisses, prompt: Cradle. Just a short drabble for now, I've been busy lately and haven't been watching very much Miami._

* * *

There had never been any doubt in her mind that she was safe with Eric, not even before they started dating. Once they started dating, it had only confirmed that there was pretty much nothing - save for a few things they'd rather forget - that would stand between them. She was more than capable of defending herself, to be sure, but there was a certain comfort that she felt when he cradled her in his arms and whispered words of love into her ears, showering light kisses into her hair. Her heart belonged to him, and his to her.


	20. Workout

**Title**: Workout  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #9 - Dash  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Post-ep for 8.14 "In the Wind." 2/3 done with the prompts, and my one year anniversary of writing for Calleigh and Eric. Enjoy. =)

* * *

Eric wiped a clean, fresh towel across his brow - there was always something about a long workout that made beads of sweat prick at his skin, and seeing as how he had just finished one, he'd need a cold shower to cool down. A warm shower wouldn't suit his needs. Not tonight, not after his entire train of thought the past three or so hours was a particular blonde. His mind flashed back to the locker room that day after work, how she was so alluring, even when telling him that this wasn't the right time, nor the right place for that matter, for this conversation to be held. Ever since they had walked out of there together - though he had still insisted on going to the gym, and she had gone on home, his thoughts were still resting with her, her and the memory of their interrupted morning.

They had set up this little arrangement not by choice, but by necessity. They had _agreed_ that this would be a casual thing _together_. No need to bruise either of their hearts any more than they already were.

She was still the woman he loved, though, and if the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him was any indication, he could have _sworn_ that there was reciprocation. They had been through so much - _too_ much, if one asked him, and although he'd hand her the world on a silver platter if he held the capacity to do so, he had to hold back for now. It'd be too soon, too sudden, and he didn't want there to be any chance that he'd lose her.

Finding a spark of inspiration, probably brought on by either a bout of temporary insanity, or a moment of stark clarity - the two were so close that it could have been either one - he pulled out his cell phone and called a familiar number. When the person on the other end answered, he said, hopeful in tone, "Cal?"

"Yeah?" she asked. It sounded as though she had either been dozing off or perhaps deep in thought.

"I'm coming over." He shut the phone with a click, picked up his bag and dashed out. The sooner he got out of there, the sooner he'd be at Calleigh's, and the sooner he was at Calleigh's, the sooner they'd have this conversation that had been idling on the back burner for some time now. Showers could wait.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, he sat on the couch in her living room - the couch where they had spent so many nights curled up together, watching movies. Or, more accurately, Calleigh would watch movies, he'd watch Calleigh watching movies. The throw pillow next to him was the one that he had propped her head up against more than once, before she had forgone it in favor of his lap. Memories coursed through the room.

"Sorry about that," she said, walking out of the kitchen with two cups of tea perched in her hands and settling down on the other end of the couch, her legs tucked beneath her. "The kettle -"

"Don't worry about it," he said, cutting her off and gratefully accepting one of the two cups.

"I guess this answers the question of 'your place or mine?', doesn't it?"

He nodded, sipping at the tea. The combination of the hot tea and the remaining sweat from the workout was warming him up, to where he almost felt overheated. Calleigh's pointed gaze didn't help that problem.

"Eric, we can't keep going like this."

"What do you mean?"

"We say 'it's not going to happen' and then it _does_ happen, and then we say it again and it keeps repeating in a vicious cycle."

"And that's a _bad_ thing?"

She shook her head. "It's a bad thing because I don't know where we stand."

"Cal -"

"And I don't want to be left in the dark. Eric, where do we stand?"

He set his cup on the coaster on the side table and moved closer to her. As she opened her mouth to say something, he leaned in and kissed her - at first cautiously, as though he wasn't sure that the kiss was welcomed, but as she let out a small gasp and reciprocated, her arms moving down his back, he could feel it growing in intensity. It wasn't just a kiss, they had done plenty of that over the past year or so, it was a message as well.

When they broke apart, her nose resting against his nose, she raised an eyebrow and took his hand in hers. "Leave the phone behind," she said.

"I left it in the car."

"Good." She stood up, taking him with her. "I turned mine off."

"Even better."


	21. Break a Few Eggs

**Title**: Break a Few Eggs  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #17- kHz  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. This was originally a chapter to a fic I had started late last year, cleaned up and edited slightly.

* * *

_"3..."_

Calleigh felt his strong arms wrapped around her, as they stood face to face, the music paused for the final countdown into 2010. She pressed her face into his chest and smiled. There was no place she'd rather be right then than where she was.

_"2..."_

Eric breathed in the scent of her hair, intoxicatingly close. They were relatively "out" as a couple, so to speak, but this party had been the first time they were actively socializing with their friends as a couple. And he found it refreshing that he didn't have to hide anymore. It was all in the open, and now that he had left CSI, it wasn't even an issue of departmental fraternization anymore. More of a "thank God you two finally opened your eyes," as Natalia had so succinctly put it.

_"1..."_

He pulled her closer to him and as 2009 and all of its trials and tribulations, glories and sorrows, came to a close, he knew that this was the only place he wanted to spend the rest of his years with.

"Happy New Year!"

He bent his head as she arched her neck upward, meeting somewhere in the middle for a New Year's Day kiss, equal parts passionate and hopeful. Hopeful that 2010 would be the best year of their lives.

* * *

The morning light streamed in through the windows, painting the bed sheets a vivid hue of many colors. Calleigh forced herself to get out of bed when her clock radio alarm went off on accident, streaming static into the tranquility. The sheets were warm and comfortable, yes, and there was always the issue of disentangling her legs from Eric's. Not that it was an issue she particularly wanted to go away any time soon, she mused to herself as she remembered Ryan's catcalls of "get a room, you two!" the night before, and how it had been the first time they had truly taken his advice to heart...

It just made the decision on whether sating her appetite with breakfast or cuddling up next to her boyfriend and catching a few more minutes of precious sleep was more important that much more difficult.

Her stomach rumbled just then. "Fine," she muttered under her breath, easing her way out of bed. "You win this time." She glanced back at Eric, still safely cocooned within her blankets. If there was one thing she enjoyed doing, it was watching him sleep, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it was one of his favorite things to do as well.

The hunt for breakfast food was on. After a cursory search of the pantry - and a mental note made to buy Cheerios the next time she went to the grocery store - she turned to the fridge to seek inspiration. If it was as empty as she feared, then she may just have to wake Eric up and have them go out to a restaurant for a New Year's Day breakfast. Spotting a nearly full dozen of eggs, she smiled. Ham and cheese omelettes would be a good way to start a New Year, and also use up a little bit of leftover holiday ham. Practical, edible, and delicious - a combination that couldn't be beat, in her mind.

After the omelettes were finished, she slid them onto the very few clean plates that were left. Now for the part she never liked doing. She went back in the bedroom and bent down next to the bed, looking at Eric's tranquil face. Gently, she began pressing soft, fluttery kisses to his cheeks and lips. "Wake up, sleepyhead," she whispered, gliding her hand over the top of his head. "I made us breakfast."

He shook his head as he woke up. "You didn't have to, Cal," he said. "But I'm never going to turn down your cooking." The promise of waking up to her cooking every day was one of the reasons he liked spending the night as much as he could. Not that there weren't other reasons, of course. Just the good food was a nice bookend to the morning after.

"Then get out of bed, Eric Delko," she said, turning to walk back out the door. "Omelettes don't last forever."

* * *

As they sat at the kitchen table, Calleigh's knife slicing through the omelette, Eric popping another carefully cut piece into his mouth, there was a content silence. They were comfortable enough with each other by now that words didn't need to be spoken. Not anymore.

"So, you make a New Year's resolution this year?" Calleigh asked.

He shrugged. "Not to get shot at this year," he said, laughing slightly. "Seems like a decent resolution, considering the past few years. I'm tired of spending time in hospitals."

"Yeah," she said, frowning and turning back to her omelette.

"What 'bout you?"

"To avoid inhaling smoke. The whole hospital time thing," she said, looking up and winking. "No, really, I don't have one this year."

"I do."

"Oh?"

"To not let the best thing I've ever had slip through my fingers." He fixed his gaze on Calleigh, the look that always sent shivers down her spine.

"I'll be sure to let -" she started, before he cut her off.

"I mean you. I'm not letting you go, Calleigh."

"Nothing coming between us?"

"No. _Nothing_."

"Then I can't wait to see how this year turns out for us." She smiled and took the plate from him, placing it on top of her own.

As she washed the dishes meticulously by hand, and Eric went into the bathroom to take a shower, she hummed to herself. The year already seemed brighter and it was only eight o'clock on New Year's Day.

Hopefully this year would end up being good for _both_ of them.


	22. Calm of the Storm

**Title**: Calm of the Storm  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #15 – Perfect Blue  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. This is a sequel to His Own Personal Ray of Sunshine (chapter two) and Fiona's Wrath (chapter twelve), and the final "chapter" in the Hurricane Fiona "trilogy." I also changed the name of the overall story; something I've been meaning to do for a while.

* * *

"Where's the flashlight? Or at least a candle and some matches?" Eric repeated, a little more earnestly this time.

Calleigh blinked her eyes rapidly to adjust to the dimmed room. From somewhere above them, she heard the rain lashing against the roof angrily. "Ummm," she said, almost more to herself than to Eric, thinking about the last time she had seen the large silver flashlight she used whenever she went into the attic. "I _think_ the flashlight's in the coat closet."

He walked to the coat closet and rummaged around on the top shelf. "This would have been a good asset earlier," he muttered, pulling a long, black umbrella from the shelf and throwing it to the floor.

"It would have blown out of our hands, Eric. It's _so_ windy out there right now," she said, making her way over to the couch and sitting down. The thought of her umbrella dancing down the street didn't amuse her very much, but she was wet and a little cranky after everything that had gone on that day. Maybe once her mood improved, she'd find it the thought of it more amusing.

"Found it," Eric said triumphantly, grasping the cool metallic handle of the flashlight in his fist. "It was next to your umbrella." He flicked it on, illuminating Calleigh's face in the beam.

Scrunching up her face, she squealed loudly, "Turn it off!" She saw his confused face in the shadows. "Or at least turn it away from me."

"I want to be able to see you," he said, moving the beam down her body, illuminating her wet clothes.

"You know, Eric, you don't have to be able to _see_ me," she replied, moving closer to him and skimming her hands along the hem of his shirt. "You just have to be able to _feel _me, and a blind man could do _that_."

He could only nod as their clothes found their way onto the floor, kisses being traded back and forth, as the storm raged overhead.

* * *

The next morning, the sky above them was the most brilliant of blues – clear and oddly, considering the storm, calm. "You think that's the eye of the hurricane above us?" Calleigh asked, peering out the blinds.

"Yeah, probably."

She narrowed her eyes and settled back into his arms. "Guess that means we're not going anywhere."

"Not any time soon," he said in agreement.

"So," she said, "if this hurricane continues –"

"We're not going anywhere soon."

Her arm reached back and her fingers formed odd figure-eights on his side. "I was _thinking_ we could get back to what we were doing last night."

He pulled her closer to him. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Ride out the storm together."

"Something like that, yeah."


	23. Not Her Time

**Title**: Not Her Time  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #4 – Our distance and that person  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Notes**: Written for 30_kisses on LiveJournal. Short little missing scene/introspection for 8.20, "Backfire."

* * *

It's _not_ her time.

She knows this much to be true.

There are _so_ many things she has yet to do – she hasn't said all the words she wants to say, yet, have all the life experiences she wants to have. Get married, raise a family, grow old – and here she is, lying in a cold, sterile hospital room, hovering somewhere between life and death.

She can see, from her own little out-of-body-experiment she has going on, that Eric is fighting for her. Fighting for _them_, she supposes. He came all the way from Tampa, just for her; she wonders who called him before telling herself it doesn't matter.

If she wasn't invisible to him, she'd _kiss _him for coming.

As it stands, she turns her head away and faces the kid from the fire.

It's not her time.

But it's not in her hands now, _not_ her decision to make.


	24. Clarity

**Title**: Clarity  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**: #10 - #10  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.

* * *

The days blurred together until there was no definition between them: sunrise followed sunset, waking followed sleeping.

It wasn't that his life lacked definition without Calleigh's presence lingering at every step, because it wasn't that, at all.

She provided a certain clarity when she was around, like everything made more sense and even if everything was wrong, there was at least _them_ and that was something right.

And right now, there wasn't even a _them_ - they'd barely said ten words to each other in as many days; it was too awkward, with all of the tension and history boiling right there below the surface. Some days he wanted to reach out across the lab tables, grab her and kiss her like he used to, pouring his heart out to her with unspoken words; kiss her the way he did before anything came in the way and everything irreparably changed for them.

They were caught in a constant state of suspension: a delicate balance, maintained by their stubborn insistence on not moving forward, nor moving backward anymore than they already had.

It wasn't enough.

It wouldn't be.

And yet, for now, the days would march on in their endless blur, until one of them - and he had no idea which of them it would be, because in their twisted dance, the leader changed more often than not - stepped forward and put it all on the line, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

That much was clear to him, even now.


	25. Words Unspoken

**Title**: Words Unspoken  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme**#13—Excessive Chain  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Note**: One of my goals for this summer is to finish this set of prompts off. This is an outtake from a longer fic of mine (that will probably be posted later this summer or early in the fall) where it didn't end up fitting in.

* * *

"Do you trust me?" He leaned in closer. His face was all she could see; his words were all she could hear. Even now. Even after all this time, Eric—and everything about him—still utterly captivated her.

She nodded blindly. There were few things in her world that she considered unquestionable. One of them was the utter trust she held for Eric. Some of it was professional, to be sure; without trust in her co-workers, she'd likely be dead multiple times over by now. But her and Eric had been playing with blurring the line between professional and personal for a long while now. "Yes," she said in a hoarse whisper. "_Of course_ I trust you." For such a simple statement of fact, she had given it a stark solemnity when she said it out loud.

"With _everything_?" He laid her hand in his own, and with the pad of his thumb, he gently kneaded her palm. And in that moment, his subtext became context.

She took their joined hands and slowly, but deliberately, guided them to rest over her chest. "_Everything_," she echoed.

"You—" he started to say, before he snapped back to attention. "_Calleigh_." Her name on his lips was the last thing she heard before he closed the fraction of the gap between them. The first kiss was at the corner of her lips, almost as an unspoken question, a silent "may I?"

Unspoken questions received unspoken answers.

She shifted her angle nearly imperceptibly, and, at the same time, drew her arm around his neck, pulling him that much closer to her; their hands were still clutched tightly against her chest. That was the extent of the distance between them, but it still felt like a blockade of some sort separating them from each other—too much distance. Opening her lips against his, she smiled as she returned the kiss and uttered a few silent declarations of her own.

Like this, they exchanged unspoken words back and forth, until they broke apart and rested their foreheads against each other, smiling into each other's eyes. "So."

"So," she echoed. To vocalize what had just happened would be to put words to the most complex aspects of their lives together. "I—" She knew rationally that they still had to talk everything through with each other, and figure out where they stood in relation to their past and the present and what had just happened—the kissing, after all, _definitely_ complicated things. But a sincere part of her only wanted to keep being suspended in the silence of the moment.

"You don't have to say anything," he whispered, holding her close to him. "Anything at all."

And she knew that he was right.


	26. Resolved

**Title**: Resolved  
**Author**: WhatBecomesOfYou  
**Pairing**: Calleigh/Eric  
**Fandom**: CSI: Miami  
**Theme: **#23—Candy  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters from it. I'm just borrowing them and will return them intact to their rightful owners when I'm done, promise.  
**Note**: Only three more to go, really, because the fourth one has been pre-written to serve as the last one. If you have any ideas for things you may want to see in those three, drop me a line.

* * *

Everyone at the lab had been submitting their New Year's resolutions over the past week; one of the lab techs was pinning them to a bulletin board in the locker room - "to help keep us motivated!" she'd said, "because otherwise, we'll forget two weeks later and end up gorging on candy or soda or alcohol, or whatever, and this will hold us all accountable."

And Calleigh had followed suit with the resolution board, pinning up one that said something to the effect of "spend more time on the range," because she'd noticed that her aim was a little off these days, not as crisp and clean as it once was, and that would not do, not for her. But as she sat at home, watching the ball drop over Times Square on television, chewing at the chocolates in Natalia's spare Godiva box that she had given away as preparation for tonight, and sipping at cheap chardonnay that had been a housewarming present when she moved in - eight years before - she mentally added a second resolution, one that would be harder to keep.

Never spend another New Year's alone.

* * *

The tipsy phone call at three in the morning to all of her exes still in her phone book would be too tacky, too collegiate - and she didn't like the thought of subjecting anyone to that anyway.. So she scrawled a note to herself, the blunt end of the pen digging into the pad of paper, and crawled into her bed.

Sleep would take care of the headache that threatened to pound against the inside of her skull; sleep would provide the fine-tuned clarity she needed.

* * *

She awoke to a beeping voicemail notification - one from a tipsy Eric, wishing her a happy new year, and other assorted mumblings - and she wondered to herself if he had spent it with anyone special. Or if his too was accompanied by a bottle or a glass of some alcohol or another. Not that it was any of her business. He could spend New Year's - or the rest of his life - with someone else, and it wouldn't bother her.

If she was lying, that is.

If she was telling the truth, she'd say that she wanted more than anything for the two of them to get back together. For Eric to be her New Year's resolution. And he'd help with making sure she got back on the range more, too.

She called him, the cold light of sobriety be damned. "Hey, Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year to you too, Calleigh. Can I come over? I want to ask you something."

"Yes. Of course."

* * *

Almost exactly a year later, Calleigh sat on the same couch, sipping at a nicer merlot this time instead of a cheap chardonnay - and looked over at her companion next to her on the couch. She wasn't alone this year. "Happy New Year, Eric," she whispered, as the ball dropped in Times Square, and his mouth was on hers before she could finish the sentence, kissing her with love and passion intertwined with everything else between the two of them.

She may not have made it into the range much more than she had hoped, but she accomplished the other half of her resolutions.

She'd never be spending another New Year alone, if the diamond on her finger was any indication of that.


End file.
